At A Glance

5 August 1985 at a glance

Day of the week
5 August 1985 was a Monday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Into the Groove” by Madonna.
Top Film of 1985
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1985 was Back to the Future.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 August 1985 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 August 1985 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 5 August

  • 1973 Mars 6 is launched from the USSR.
  • 1974 Watergate scandal: President Richard Nixon, under orders of the US Supreme Court, releases the "Smoking Gun" tape, recorded on June 23, 1972, clearly revealing his actions in covering up and interfering investigations into the break-in. His political support vanishes completely.
  • 1979 In Afghanistan, Maoists undertake the Bala Hissar uprising against the Leninist government.
  • 1981 President Ronald Reagan fires 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work.
  • 1995 Yugoslav Wars: The city of Knin, Croatia, a significant Serb stronghold, is taken by Croatian forces during Operation Storm. The date is celebrated in Croatia as Victory Day.

Famous people born on 5 August

  • James Gunn, American filmmaker (born 1966)
  • Wendell Berry, American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist (1934–2026)
  • Angry Anderson, Australian singer and actor (1947–2026)
  • Neil Armstrong, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut, first man to walk on the Moon (1930–2012)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1985 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1985 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 19 February – EastEnders, the BBC One soap opera set in the fictional London Borough of Walford, debuts.
  • 13 May – The Dire Straits album Brothers in Arms is released; it becomes the first compact disc to sell over 1,000,000 copies.
  • 1 June – Battle of the Beanfield, Britain's largest mass arrest and the effective end of Stonehenge Free Festivals.

Life in 1985

Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

67p

Loaf of Bread

46p

Average House

£31,103

Weekly Wage

£177.00

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1980s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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